Recording to live for.

DaveyF

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Many of us know of the "recording to die for" section that the various S'phile writers put out in that mag. I have always enjoyed the many recommendations that the various writers suggest. Therefore, i thought the WBF community could do the same thing....except we don't need to "die" for the recordings:(, let the S'phile staff do that, LOL. We can "live" for these recordings:D
The recordings don't have to fall into any particular format, only that they be liked enough by the particular member to merit inclusion.


So to start off this thread, I would nominate these:

Gerry Mulligan meets Scott Hamilton on MFSL 1-286. Superb jazz recording with a very realistic rendering of the brass instruments. Gerry Mulligan and Scott Hamilton are in the room with you in this intimate and warm jazz recording.

Alison Krauss + Union Station Live. MFSL 3-281. If you like Bluegrass and/or Country this is a must own recording. To hear Dan Tyminski and the great Jerry Douglass on Dobro is a treat. The whole session, which was recorded 'live'
is IMO one of the best 'live' recordings ever.

Black Sabbath, Master of Reality on Vertigo 6360050. This is one of the recordings that should be a 'demo'- showing how to record a 'rock' band- and in this instance the well known Black Sabbath band in their earlier years. Superb on all counts.

Uriah Heep, The Magician's Birthday. ILPS9213 Bronze LP. For those of us who like Prog, this one is a real treat. An airy and spacious recording of the group and one that will show off how dynamic your system is.


Let's hear it for the "recordings to live for"....
 
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Johnny Vinyl

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Love this idea Davey! I'll play!

Supertramp - Crime of the Century - Speakers Corner
Neil Young - Live at Massey Hall 1971 - Reprise standard 180g pressing
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon - UK Harvest 2nd pressing (A3-B3)
David Gilmour - Live in Gdansk (Columbia)
Aaron Neville - Warm Your Heart (ORG)
DiMeola/McLaughlin/DeLucia - Friday Night in San Francisco (Speakers Corner)

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (Hybrid MCH SACD) - Analogue Productions
Peggy Lee - Bewitching-Lee! (Hoffman remastered CD)
 
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LenWhite

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Albums often enjoyed because of music content and SQ:

Classical:

Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto no. 2 in C minor Op. 18; Moments Musicaux, op. 16
Channel Classics: CCS SA 26308; SACD Hybrid Stereo/Multi-channel DSD 5.0
London Philharmonic Orchestra/Royal Festival Hall, London, England-May 2008
Kirill Petrenko (conductor)
Dejan Lazic' (Piano)

Barber: Symphony No. 1, Op. 9; Copland: Appalachian Spring (Suite); Higdon: blue cathedral; Theofanidis: Rainbow Body
Telarc: SACD-60596; SACD Hybrid Stereo/Multi-channel DSD 5.1
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra/Symphony Hall, Woodruff Arts Center, Atlanta, Georgia/April 12 & September 21, 2002
Robert Spano (conductor)

Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Flat Major; Piano Concerto No. 2 in A Major; Totentanz
BIS: SACD-1530; SACD Hybrid Stereo/Multi-channel 24/96 PCM 5.0
Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra/Sala Sao Paulo-July 2005, Sao Paula, Brazil
John Neschling (conductor)
Arnaldo Cohen (piano)

Liszt: Dante Symphony; Tasso
Telarc: SACD-60613; SACD Hybrid Stereo/Multi-channel DSD 5.0
London Symphony Orchestra/Watford Town Hall, Watford, England, January 13-17, 2003
London Oratory School Schola, Michael McCarthy, Director
Leon Botstein (conductor)

Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet
LSO Live: SACD LSO0682; SACD Hybrid Stereo/Multi-channel DSD 5.1
London Symphony Orchestra/Barbican, London/November 21 & 23, 2008
Valery Gergiev (conductor)

Rachmaninov: Symphony no. 2 in E minor, Op. 27; Vocalise no. 14, Op. 34
Channel Classics: CCS SA 21604; SACD Hybrid Stereo/Multi-channel DSD 5.0
Budapest Festival Orchestra/The Italian Institute/Budapest/October 2003
Ivan Fischer (conductor)

Schubert: String Quartet in D minor, D. 810, "Death and the Maiden"; String Quartet in F major, Op. 96, "American"
Telarc: SACD-60610; SACD Hybrid Stereo/Multi-channel DSD 5.1
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Walthamstow Town Hall, London, England, August 12-19, 2002
Charles Rosekrans (conductor)

Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43; Tubin: Symphony No. 5 in B Minor
Telarc: SACD-60585; SACD Hybrid Stereo/Multi-channel DSD 5.1
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra/Music Hall, Cincinnatti, Ohio, December 1-2, 2001
Paavo Jarvi (conductor)

Wagner: Prelude & Liebestod (from Tristan und Isolde); Strauss: Four Last Songs (Fruhling, September, Beim Schlafengehen, Im Abendrot); Tod und Verklarung, Op. 24 (Death and Transfiguration)
Telarc: SACD-60661; SACD Hybrid Stereo/Multi-channel DSD 5.1
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra/Woodruff Arts Center, Atlanta, Georgia/April 1-2, 2006
Donald Runnicles (conductor)
Christine Brewer (soprano)

Stravinsky: Petrouchka; Rachmaninov: Symphonic Dances op. 45
RCO Live: RCO 05004; SACD Hybrid Stereo/Multi-channel DSD 5.0
Royal Concergebouw Orchestra/Concertgebouw Amsterdam/October 29 & 31, 2004 & February 4, 2005
Mariss Jansons (conductor)
Emily Beynon (flute)
Frits Damrow (trumpet)
Jeroen Bal (piano)

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36; Romeo and Juliet Overture
Channel Classics: CCS SA 21704; SACD Hybrid Stereo/Multi-channel DSD 5.0
Budapest Festival Orchestra/The Italian Institute, Budapest
February 11-14, 2004
Ivan Fischer (conductor)

Jazz:

Patricia Barber: Verse
Mobile Fidelity: UDSACD 2027; SACD Hybrid Stereo 24/48 PCM

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers: Keystone 3
Concord Jazz: SACD-1001-6; SACD Hybrid Stereo Analogue

Kenny Burrell: Midnight Blue
Analogue Productions: CBNJ 84123 SA; SACD Hybrid Stereo Analogue

Jimmy Cobb Quartet: Cobb's Corner
Chesky: SACD327; SACD Hybrid Stereo/Multi-channel 24/96 PCM 5.0

Bill Cunliffe: Live at Bernie's
Grove Note: GRV1009-3; SACD Hybrid Stereo DSD

Miles Davis: Kind of Blue
Columbia: CS 64935; SACD Hybrid Stereo Analogue

Kurt Elling: Dedicated To You
Concord Jazz: CJA-31314-02; RBCD

Terry Evans: Mississippi Magic
Audioquest: AQ-SACD1057; SACD Hybrid Stereo DSD

Wayne Horvitz: Sweeter Than The Day
Songlines: SA1536-5; SACD Hybrid Stereo/Multi-channel Analogue 5.0

Diana Krall: The Girl in the Other Room
Verve: B0002293-36; SACD Hybrid Stereo/Multi-channel 24/96 PCM 5.1

Doug MacLeod: Who's Truth, Who's Lies?
Audioquest: AQ-SACD1054; SACD Hybrid Stereo DSD

Rene' Marie: Voice Of My Beautiful Country
Motema: MTM-59; RBCD

Hugh Masekela: Hope
Analogue Productions: CAPJ 82020 SA; SACD Hybrid Stereo Analogue

Greta Matassa: Live at Tula's
Jazz Stream Records: JSSACD002; SACD Hybrid Stereo/Multi-channel 5.1

Sam McClain: Soul Survivor
Audioquest: AQ-SACD1053; SACD Hybrid Stereo Analogue

Misha Mengelberg Quartet: Four In One
Songlines: SA1535-5; SACD Hybrid Stereo DSD

Lee Morgan: The Sidewinder
Analogue Productions: CBNJ 84157 SA; SACD Hybrid Stereo Analogue

Oliver Nelson: The Blues and The Abstract Truth
Analogue Productions: CIPJ 5 SA; SACD Hybrid Stereo Analogue

Leslie Pintchik: Quartets
Ambient Records: CD-006; SACD Hybrid Stereo/Multi-channel DSD 5.0

Mel Tormé: The London Sessions
Audio Fidelity: AFZ 002; SACD Hybrid Stereo Analogue

Pop:

Nancy Bryan: Neon Angel
Analogue Productions: APO 2013 SA; SACD Hybrid Stereo Analogue

Holy Cole Trio: Temptation
Analogue Productions: CAPP 048 SA; SACD Hybrid Stereo Analogue

Holy Cole: Don't Smoke In Bed
Analogue Productions: CAPP 049 SA; SACD Hybrid Stereo Analogue

Countying Crows: August and Everything After
Analogue Productions: CAPP 24528 SA; SACD Hybrid Stereo Analogue

Neil Diamond: 12 Songs
Columbia: 8-2876-77508-2; RBCD

Marianne Faithfull: Blazing Away
Island: 842 794-2; RBCD

Foreigner: Foreigner
Mobile Fidelity: UDSACD 2050; SACD Hybrid Stereo Analogue

Frankie Goes To Hollywood: Welcome To The Pleasuredome
Island: 7 90232-2; RBCD

Melody Gardot: My One And Only Thrill
Verve: B0012563-02; RBCD

Joe Jackson: Body and Soul
A&M Records: CD-5000; RBCD

Billy Joel: 52nd Street
Mobile Fidelity: USSACD 2090: SACD Hybrid Stereo Analogue

Billy Joel: Piano Man
Mobile Fidelity: USSACD 2062: SACD Hybrid Stereo Analogue

Billy Joel: The Stranger
Mobile Fidelity: USSACD 2089: SACD Hybrid Stereo Analogue

Norah Jones: Come Away With Me
Analogue Productions: CAPP 047 SA; SACD Hybrid Stereo/Multi-channel Analogue 5.1

Norah Jones: Not Too Late
Analogue Productions: CAPP 044 SA; SACD Hybrid StereoAnalogue

Alison Krauss + Union Station: Live
Rounder: 11661-0515-6; SACD Hybrid Stereo/Multi-channel DSD 5.1

Ray LaMontagne: Till the Sun Turns Black
RCA Records: 82876 83328 2; RBCD

Shelby Lynne: Just A Little Lovin'
Analogue Productions: CAPP 041 SA; SACD Hybrid Stereo Analogue

Eleanor McEvoy: Yola
Market Square: MSNSACD113; SACD Hybrid Stereo Analogue

Willie Nelson: Stardust
Columbia: CD 35305; RBCD

Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here
Analogue Productions: EMI 5099952243325; SACD Hybrid Stereo Multi-channel Analogue 5.1

The Eagles: Hotel California
DCC: GZS-1024; RBCD (HDTracks 24/96 sounds more open)
 
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Asamel

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David Crosby - If I Could Only Remember My Name
 

LL21

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OK...I know this aint exactly the top 10! Its a list out of about 2,000 albums that we return to often, including the artist in the case of classical where we may have as many as 2-6 versions by various artists. I'll add a few more in Jazz and elsewhere, but try to keep it within top 10-20 for each.

(Note: BOLD items have been added more recently as I update this post.)

CLASSICAL
Bach: Cello Suites, Janos Starker
Bach: Brandenburg Concertos, Karl Ristenpart
Bach: Cantatas, Suzuki (BIS)
Beethoven: Piano Works, Richter in Prague; Praga Digitals Remasters or original CDs (very rare)
Beethoven: Complete Sonatas for Piano and Violin, Melnikov

Beethoven: String Quartets Endellion Quartet
Beethoven: Missa Solemnis, Gardiner
Chopin: Nocturnes, Moravec
Gershwin: Works, Grofe
Grieg: Piano Concerto A, Rada Lupu (FIM Remaster)
Handel: Concertos, Manze
Handel: Messiah, Stephen Layton
Haydn: Symphonies, Adam Fischer
Haydn: Concertos, Apponyi Quartet
Mendelsohn: Symphonies, Nicholas Ward
Mussorskgy: Pictures at an Exhibition, Sukhiev
Rachmaninoff: Concerto 2, Andsnes
Scarlatti: Piano Works, Pletnev
Vivaldi: la extravaganza; la cetera, both with Rachel Podger

JAZZ
David Brubeck: Time Out; At Carnegie Hall
Benny Carter: Jazz Giant
Ella and Louis (FIM Remaster)
Evans: Waltz for Debby
Miles Davis: Round Midnight (Recent Remaster)
Lou Donaldson: Blues Walk; Sonny Side Up
Red Garland: Dig It!; All Mornin' Long (new APO Remaster!!!); Red's Good Groove
Jacques Loussier: Brandenburg Concertos
Oscar Peterson: MPS Recordings (several)
Sonny Stitt Plays
Stanley Turrentine: Blues Hour

HIP HOP/RAP
- Digable Planets: Blowout Comb
- Dorrough: Dorrough
- Dre: 2001
- Linkin Park: Meteora
- Mobb Deep: Hell on Earth
- Snoop: Doggystyle
- Tribe Called Quest: Low End Bass Theory

DEEP HOUSE
- Ame: Rej
- Konrad Black: (Watergate Label)
- Dennis Ferrer: The World As I See It
- Two Fingers: Stunt Rhythms
- Michael Mayer: Fabric Label (Album #13)
-

BLUES:

- John Lee Hooker: Don't Look Back; It Serves You Right To Suffer
- LIghtnin' Hopkins: Lightnin'; Goin'Away; Soul Blues - APO SACD Remasters
- Muddy Waters: FolkSinger
- Keb Mo': Keb Mo
- Eric Bibb: Live; spirit and the blues
- Rolling Stones & Muddy Waters: Live Concert
- Amos Lee: Amos Lee


OTHER:
- Anouar Brahem: The Astounding Eyes of Rita
- Rodriguo y Gabriela: Live in Tokyo; Rodriguo y Gabriela
- The Chieftans: Celtic Harp
- Orishias: Antidiotico
- Buena Vista Social Club
- Yo Yo Ma: Appalachia Waltz
- Hans Zimmer: Dark Knight, Sherlock Holmes
- Lord of the Rings Soundtrack: 1st 3 albums
- Harry Potter - The Halfblood Prince Soundtrack (Nicholas Porter?)
- Eric Clapton: Unplugged

-
 
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DaveyF

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Some great stuff so far, guys. Perhaps we should include which label and which format as Len and Johnny did. BTW,I am now on the hunt for several of these pieces. Let's keep them coming:D
 

Ronm1

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David Crosby - If I Could Only Remember My Name
Especially the DVDA release
I'll add
Way Out West, Saxophone Colossus - Sonny Rollins
Art Pepper meets the Rhthym Section
All 192/24 2ch DVDA's from Contemporary jp imports
 
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LL21

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Some great stuff so far, guys. Perhaps we should include which label and which format as Len and Johnny did. BTW,I am now on the hunt for several of these pieces. Let's keep them coming:D

On my Post #5, I will keep updating periodically with a few things...just added a Blues Section.
 

Johnny Vinyl

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Added Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here - SACD to my list in Post #2.
 

Ronm1

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Harry Belafonte at Carnegie Hall Sony K2HD
Concierto - Jim Hall SACD
 

DaveyF

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On my Post #5, I will keep updating periodically with a few things...just added a Blues Section.


Lloyd, you've got some superb recordings there. Which Muddy Water Folk Singer do you like best? I'm partial to the MFSL 200 gram LP recording. The original Chess would be great to hear, however, I do not own it.
 

Johnny Vinyl

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Lloyd, you've got some superb recordings there. Which Muddy Water Folk Singer do you like best? I'm partial to the MFSL 200 gram LP recording. The original Chess would be great to hear, however, I do not own it.

I have the 200g Classic Records release of Folk Singer. Outstanding. As is the Pure Pleasure release of Keb' Mo's debut that Lloyd mentioned!
 

LL21

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Lloyd, you've got some superb recordings there. Which Muddy Water Folk Singer do you like best? I'm partial to the MFSL 200 gram LP recording. The original Chess would be great to hear, however, I do not own it.

Hi DaveyF...I am strictly a redbook guy, for my sins. ;) I have the original CD, MFSL and the DVD-A which I have played on my Oppo 95. Probably not a fair fight but the DVD-A was close but in my system, not as good as the MFSL CD. That said, it is an excellent DVD-A thru the Oppo and with another player, it would be fascinating to hear it again.
 

LL21

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I have the 200g Classic Records release of Folk Singer. Outstanding. As is the Pure Pleasure release of Keb' Mo's debut that Lloyd mentioned!

I will try to add a few more and fill in the list a bit tomorrow...;)
 

Johnny Vinyl

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I will try to add a few more and fill in the list a bit tomorrow...;)

Is the Keb'Mo' the Mofi SACD? I have that in addition to the PP vinyl.
 

LL21

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hvbias

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These are all reference level LPs for me, the music has to be great or it won't keep my attention

Jazz:
Sonny Rollins - Way Out West (Analogue Productions 2 LP, 45 rpm)
Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus (Analogue Productions 2 LP, 45 rpm or TP tape)
Prince Lasha Quintet feat Sonny Simmons - The Cry! (first pressing on Contemporary Records)
Art Pepper - Meets The Rhythm Section (Analogue Productions 2 LP, 45 rpm)
Hank Mobley - Soul Station (Music Matters 2 LP, 45 rpm)
Miles Davis - Steamin' With the Miles Davis Quintet (Analogue Productions 2 LP, 45 rpm)
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - A Night At Birdland (Music Matters 2 LP, 45 rpm)
Hank Mobley - Hank Mobley Quintet (Music Matters 2 LP, 45 rpm)
John Coltrane - Soultrane (Analogue Productions 2 LP, 45 rpm)
Chet Baker - Chet aka The Lyrical Trumpet of Chet Baker (Analogue Productions 2 LP, 45 rpm)
Miles Davis - Someday My Prince Will Come (original US pressing, 6-eye stereo)
Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um (either the original US pressing 6-eye mono or Analogue Productions 45 rpm reissue. Both will show off the beauty of CBS 30th St. Studio)
John Coltrane - Sun Ship (US original pressing)
Thelonious Monk - Monk's Music (Analogue Productions 2 LP, 45 rpm)
Thelonious Monk - Misterioso (Analogue Productions 2 LP, 45 rpm)
Thelonious Monk - Complete Live At the It Club (Mosaic Records 4 lp reissue)

Rock:
Black Sabbath - Paranoid (UK first pressing on the Vertigo swirl label)
Deep Purple - Made In Japan (DCC Vinyl reissue)
The Allman Bros Band - Live At Fillmore East (US first pressing on the pink Capricorn label, mastered by George Piros)
Grateful Dead - Workingman's Dead (US first pressing on WB green label, mastered by Ken Duncan)
The Doors - LA Woman (either the DCC vinyl reissue, or a US first pressing Butterfly label mastered at Artisan)
Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile (either the CD or the vinyl)
Neil Young - Live at Massey Hall (Classic Records vinyl)
Neil Young - Dreamin' Man Live 92 (NYA vinyl)
Steven Wilson - The Raven That Refused to Sing (BD high res digital or LP) <- produced by Alan Parsons. Floyd/Parsons Project fans should check this out
Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left (UK second pressing LP)

Classical:
Sargent/LSO - The Pines of Rome (Everest Records 35 mm film recording, reissue by Classic Records on LP)
Goossens - Antill Corroboree (Everest Records 35 mm film recording, reissue by Classic Records on 45 Clarity vinyl)
Heifetz - Beethoven Krietzer Sonata (RCA Living Stereo original 1s/1s LP)

I will need to go through my classical LP listening notes. I am much more jazz focused these days, so my classical list is probably well out dated. But those three above always impressed me.

Lots of LPs at 45 rpm because on my system the greater resolution is plain as day.

And with the exception of one Van Gelder studio recording (Soul Station) the rest of those Van Gelder Prestige or Blue Note are all mono recorded at his parents house, where IMO his instrument captures sound more natural.

And I don't really consider heavily processed multi-track recordings to be truly reference level, but many of those rock LPs can demonstrate different aspects of recorded sound.
 
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Johnny Vinyl

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^^^

I would love to hear the Classic records version of Neil Young's Massey Hall to compare to my Reprise 180g. The Reprise is stunning and I can't imagine it sounding better.

And SW's The Raven That Refused to Sing is gorgeous.
 

DaveyF

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Hi DaveyF...I am strictly a redbook guy, for my sins. ;) I have the original CD, MFSL and the DVD-A which I have played on my Oppo 95. Probably not a fair fight but the DVD-A was close but in my system, not as good as the MFSL CD. That said, it is an excellent DVD-A thru the Oppo and with another player, it would be fascinating to hear it again.

Lloyd, I have both the MFSL CD of Folk Singer and the MFSL Anadisc 200 gram recording. The CD is exceptional, the Anadisc is in another league altogether.
If you can get to hear the MFSL 200 gram Anadisc, it is absolutely one of the best recordings on vinyl!

I'm going to look at my classical collection and then post some of my favorite Classical pieces.
 

treitz3

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Regardless of the format, Folk Singer is one great album IMO. I would love to listen to the Anadisc 200 gram LP but in the meantime, the MFSL CD does it justice. Good tunes! Nice thread BTW, Davey. Watching like a hawk. ;)

Tom
 

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